His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

Chapter 54

I stared at the ring for a moment, memories of the past threatening to resurface. That ring had once meant something, a symbol of a future we had hoped to build together, but that future never came. I had moved on, and so had he, or so I thought.

"I still wear it," Nathan said, his voice full of quiet regret. "I kept it all these years, Doris, because it reminds me of the good times, of what we had before things went wrong."

For a fleeting second, I felt a pang of sympathy. His voice was gentle, almost tender, and for that moment, he looked like the man I once loved. But I couldn't allow myself to get lost in the past. I couldn't afford to be swayed by his carefully chosen words. "I know I made mistakes," Nathan said, taking a step closer. "I was wrong back then, but I want to make it up to you. To Cyrus." He looked at me with such sincerity that, for a heartbeat, I almost believed him.

But then I thought of Oliver-of his pale face in that hospital bed, his body broken after the accident. I thought of Sienna, pregnant with his child, and how different things might have been. That reminder grounded me, pulling me back from the edge of sympathy. I couldn't afford to let Nathan back in. Not for me, not for Cyrus.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," I said, my voice steady. "But you don't get to rewrite the past. Cyrus and I have moved on, and you should too."

Nathan's expression faltered, the regret deepening in his eyes. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but instead, he nodded slowly, as if accepting my words. "I just wanted to make it right," he murmured, more to himself than to me. Chapter 54

I didn't respond. Whatever Nathan and I had, it was over. I wasn't that person anymore, and he wasn't the man I once knew.

Without breaking eye contact, I reached over and rang the bell on my desk. The soft chime echoed through the room, and within seconds, the door opened as a bodyguard stepped inside, standing silently by the door.

glanced at the bodyguard, then back at me, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his

can leave now,"

didn't resist. He straightened his jacket, gave a nod, and walked toward the door. Just before stepping out, he paused and lifted his hand, showing me the wedding ring one last time. "Goodbye, Doris," he

closure settle over me. Years ago, his departure would have left me shattered, but now, it felt like the ending

knocked on the door. "Your partner is here," she

back toward

always. Her dark hair was pulled back into a

warmly. "It's good to

her a smile. "We

began preparing for our meeting, I felt the satisfaction of having

meeting was going better than I could

Chapter 54

across from each other, steering the

had done countless

in her approach,